Flower Essences can offer Emotional Balance for You & Your Horse …

Flower essences have a special place in my heart because of their ability to influence our emotional and spiritual wellbeing. I find horses very receptive to flower essences and will usually recommend both horse and rider take them together when seeking to balance any behavioural or emotional issues. This is because very often our horses will mirror or reflect any imbalances or problems we are working on, with both issues we are aware of, and issues we are not.

Dr Edward Bach, an inspirational physician and homeopath, developed flowerremedies in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. Today these remedies are used throughout the world and are widely acknowledged for their gentle yet profound qualities.

Flower essences are liquid plant preparations that are made by infusing a fresh flower blossom under very specific conditions to create a potentized flower extract. The bach flower essences are remedies made from the extracts of flowering plants, including the roots, bark, leaves and most commonly the flowers themselves. They work to balance the emotional status and assist the flow of positive energy.

At a time when plants are blooming, nature is said to be in its peak radiance and highest vibration. The essences are prepared using native flowers found growing in different regions around the world in their natural environments. Once gently prepared, the healing properties of the flowers are used to assist people and animals in balancing their wellbeing and harmonising their physical, mental and emotional energies.

All of the 38 original remedies developed by Dr. Bach are still in existence today. In fact there are now hundreds of flower essences available as single essences. Of these, the Australian Bush Flower Essences have grown in popularity, as they are known for their strength and vitality.

Some flower remedies work rapidly showing results in hours, whereas others may take weeks. Often I find the remedies work in a subtle way and can sometimes elude us because of their gentle aligning capacity. What I mean by this is I often notice clients who have forgotten the original problem by the end of a course of treatment, because everything is simply normal and harmonious again!

Remedies may be taken up to several times a day as recommended by the practitioner. Bush Flower Emergency Essence and Bach Flower Rescue Remedy can be given to your horse on a needs basis, after a trauma or injury. But generally most essences are given for a week or longer, two weeks being the most common.

So when would I consider using the essences on my horse?

Uses and Benefits:

Flower essences are used for providing clarity and calm and help to assist in trauma and the processing of emotions. The philosophy and aim of flower essences is to provide a harmonious interaction between one’s mental and physical bodies.

Flower Essences can be beneficial for a range of emotional issues such as fear, aggression, anxiety, depression and over-excitement in horses. They have also been shown to be helpful to assist both horse and owner during times of transition, loss and adjustment to new situations.

The essences work to nourish the energetic systems of the body and mind. According to Dr Bach, (the founder of European flower essences), flower remedies can help to overcome any underlying emotional problems which may be manifesting as physical symptoms. So using the essences to balance a physical ailment is useful when you think the problem may have arisen due to an emotional imbalance.

Application:

Essences are most effective when applied into the mouth, in drinking water or on a hard treat. They can also be applied onto the coat or into the horse’s feed. The flower essences can be used in your horse’s daily care program (1 to 3 times daily), or used as a training or behavior adjunct (1 hour before needed).

It is useful to note that the ‘rhythmic’ use of the remedies aids in the strength of their actions. What this means is the potency is increased by using them on a more frequent and consistent basis, not by using more drops at a time. Dosage is generally dependant on the application used and also varies according to the remedy. As a general guide the Australian Bush Flower Remedies recommend a standard of 7 drops, two times per day in mouth, water or on coat.

As Flower Essences are based upon vibrational energies, they have no direct impact upon the body’s biochemistry. They are non-habit forming, non-toxic remedies. There are no contraindications to any healing modalities or drug protocols. Flower Essences are safe to use during competition. Supporting your horse’s emotional wellbeing is an important aspect of increasing their health and longevity. A horse that is well nourished emotionally will be happy and content will bring you great joy and partnership!

As mentioned in my introduction, it is often helpful for the owner to use the same essences as their horse. This is because of the uncanny ability of horses to reflect the emotions of their owners. I will explore this in more detail in another post.

I am currently in the process of writing a book on my observations of using flower essences on horses. If you have a story or a comment you would like to share, feel free to send me your photos and writings to include in the book. Until then, all the best!

I use and provide mostly the Australian bush flower essence range. If you would like specifically bach flowers, I would suggest you find a consultant close to you in your area. Naturopaths are often good reference places if you know the remedy you would like. You can also speak to equine herbalists.

In the bach flower range I would suggest Rescue remedy to be a great all round treatment for stress or shock for either of your two horses. For your horse with founder, Crab Apple can be used for detoxification, and Olive, Gorse and Sweet Chestnut can help to lift your horse’s mood. For your mare, I would suggest either Olive or Hornbeam. These essences will help your horse’s to feel more balanced and more energised.

We have been given three ‘rescue horses’. All thouroughbreds, two mares and a gelding. The too mares are chronic windsuckers. One (13 year old) much worse than the other – she is being given back in a week as we find her behaviour distressing and the ‘sucking’ noise eerie to listen to day and night. The horses are in a lovely environment. 7 acre paddock with five sheep, shelter and good grass. They are given a small feed of hot mix to keep them coming to the call daily. Occassional hay to supplement.

The gelding was raced for many years. Now 12 years old he is a tyrant near food and kicks and bites the mares which makes them very nervous and consequently display stamping and other threatening behaviours when eating. The youngest mare, 7 years old and absolutely lovely in every aspect, is stressed when ridden in a paddock even adjacent to the other two, especially as the gelding calls to her. I fear taking her on the road, out of sight but would like to go on some trail rides. She is very jittery and does everything to get back to them. When she is back with them they both bully her, biting at her rump and even kicking out at her.

Is there a remedy to stop the anxiety of separation, the bullying and the windsucking? I have access to Bach Flower remedies but not the bush flower essences. Is one more potent than the other in an Australian (southern Tasmanian)environment.

It sounds to me like your mare is bottom of the hierarchy and lacking confidence. Personally I do find the Australian Flower remedies very relevant and perhaps more potent than the Bach flower remedies, particularly for horses in Australia, due to their resilience and strength. For separation anxiety I usually recommend a combination of Dog Rose of the Wild Forces, Grey Spider Flower, Boronia, Crowea, Tall Yellow Top, Red Suva Frangipanni and on occasions Illawarra Flame Tree. These assist with fear and loneliness. For confidence building usually Five Corners is a good starting place. I could certainly make up a blend for you, but with postage it may make it easier to source locally.

I would also perhaps suggest spending some time with her exploring natural horsemanship if you are wanting to use her as a riding horse. There are lots of great exercises to strengthen her confidence and her belief in you as a leader. As she is still so attached to the others, even though they bully her, it reflects that she see’s them as top of the hierarchy, when she can in time look more to you for that support. This can boost her confidence and stop her from being bullied as much also and allow her to potentially climb the hierarchy in her herd also.

Another approach can be to spend time just ‘being’ with her. Building a bond, both in and out of the paddock. Whilst out of the paddock, providing her with the best pick of grass can sometimes over time give her something to focus on and enjoy whilst away from the herd. This method takes time and patience, as well as clear guidance from your side.

I wonder if you have a Bush flower essence for my TB mare. She mainly does dressage to quite a high level which is fine but we also do a little bit of jumpng to break up the training. the trouble is the mare lacks confidence even on small fences particularly at fillers and frequently stops.

We have kept the jumps very small 2ft to 2ft 3 inches so that she gets used to it but we dont seem to be able to progress. Is there anything that may help her, she is also a little bit stubborn which is mixed with the nervousness. By the way, I am in England.

It does pay to be cautious, as you are being with your pony. Laminitis can develop relatively quickly on lush grass. If you are wanting some good preventative and care support, I would suggest you have a look at my ebook on laminitis which explains the process very clearly, outlining both treatment and prevention in detail. See http://www.laminitis-founder-advice.com for details.

I am so sorry, your email post seemed to slip through without me seeing it! If I can still be of assistance with your horse, please let me know. I am very happy to provide remedy suggestions for you and your horse.

Once again, so sorry I have not replied to this sooner. Please let me know if I can help further.

Zoe, I didn’t see your post from just now responding to mine – which I don’t see and have no idea what I wrote. I am a big fan of Austrialian Bush Flower Essences and find them more pertinent for myself than Bach – but everyone is an individual and they resonate with me.

I am having a bit of difficulty with my Paint Gelding (10 years) and myself. I lack confidence due to some past accidents. He is a fairly dominant horse. I get frightened easily and lose leadership status. Fortunately for me he is a fairly calm horse that doesn’t act out much. But when he does act out it is in a big way and always when there are more than two horses out with us. If he is behind he will buck and run to catch up (he’s a little slow). when he is in front he will try to kick a horse directly behind him. I’m not sure if it is a dominance issue, a claustrophobia issue, a leadership issue, or what. There are certain horses he does that with – and others he does not. Usually with lesser dominant horses he is fine and actually lets them lead without a problem (if there is only one horse with him – if there are two it’s another story).

We’ve gone to clinics and trainings and I am a fairly good rider with a now lack of confidence. He is surely less of a problem horse than my first one – a TB. Relatively speaking he is much more laid back and easy going yet I am more afraid of getting hurt on him than I ever was on her. And that I am sure is from my own experiences in the past that are coming back to haunt me. BTW NONE of the spills I’ve taken and gotten hurt on have ever been on my own horse.